§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, When Captain Cowper Coles first submitted to the Admiralty his plans, which have lately been adopted for ships of war; if such plans were reported on at the time; and, if so, by whom, and whether that Report was favourable or otherwise; and if there was any objection to lay the Papers on the subject upon the table of the House?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, the Admiralty had no objection to make public all the correspondence which had taken place relative to Captain Coles's shields. Perhaps, however, if he stated shortly what had occurred with respect to those shields, the noble Lord would not press for the papers, the production of which would be inconvenient as a precedent. Inventors always desired their inventions to be made public, but it would be impossible to publish the immense mass of papers laid before the Admiralty, not to speak of the inconvenience of producing the confidential reports of officers connected with the department itself. The credit of first taking up the invention of Captain Coles was due to the hon. and gallant Member for Huntingdon (General Peel), who, when he was at the head of the War Department, thought so favourably of it that he ordered a shield to be constructed with the view of placing it in a battery. When the present Government came into power, they also entertained a favourable opinion of the value of Captain Coles's shields, not only with respect to batteries, but likewise as connected with ships; and accordingly the Duke of Somerset communicated with the War Department to ascertain what progress they were making in the matter. It was found, after some time, that the War Department had some difficulty in constructing a shield, and early in 1860 the Admiralty requested the War Office to transfer the business to them. That request was complied with, and a shield constructed for the Admiralty was tried during last autumn on board the Trusty. As stated to the House at the time, the experiment was completely satisfactory; and the result was that the Admiralty resolved to ask Parliament to grant a sum of money in order that a ship should be built which would carry a certain number of Captain Coles's shields. He thought the noble 763 Lord would see that the Admiralty were early impressed with the value of these inventions, and had not lost a moment in bringing them to perfection. But he might be asked, what were the Admiralty doing with that gallant and clever officer, Captain Coles? Captain Coles deserved some testimony of their approval; he was necessarily put to considerable expense, and the House would be glad to hear that when the Admiralty first took up his shield they placed him on the full-pay list, and that he was likewise receiving the usual allowance of £1 a day as an officer engaged in preparing his inventions for the Admiralty. Of course he did not speak of that as a reward, which was a matter for future consideration; but he trusted the House would think that the Admiralty had not been altogether unmindful of the claims of Captain Coles.